What Can One Year Do For You?

In the fall of 2023, an ad, featuring THE Anne Lamott, crossed my social media feed. She was talking about an upcoming writer’s retreat, hosted by AWritingRoom.com, where she would be a keynote speaker. I began to dream. Soon afterward, another ad popped up for the same retreat, from THE Julia Cameron. I began to imagine, what if I could attend that retreat? What if I could learn from those two amazing authors at the same retreat? We had been caregiving for an extended period of time, we were exhausted. Those two little ads stayed with me. I decided to do something for myself, something to help me heal, something to get me writing again. I registered!

I attended my first writing retreat, which was a decades-long dream come true. It was a huge step for me. I expected lots of talk of craft, of publication, of…I’m not sure what I really expected. I just knew that I trusted Anne Lamott, and I trusted Julia Cameron. I had owned their books for decades – I hadn’t completed The Artist’s Way, but I treasured it on my bookshelf.

That retreat in Santa Fe changed my life. It was the C.P.R. that my Writer’s Heart needed. I am grateful!

It's been a year, and I’m attending my second AWritingRoom.com retreat this weekend. My life is so different. So improved. I now have a writing Community! I even lead Silent Writing Sessions in the Collective. I’ve found healing. I’ve found new friends whom I care for deeply. I am a writer. I am submitting. I am being published. I am home.

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